London’s calling Neale Whitaker

NEALE Whitaker takes a peek at Matthew Williamson’s furniture range.

Manchester-born fashion designer Matthew Williamson has a new and colouful collaboration with furniture brand Duresta.

There aren’t many things that make me homesick for England. I stopped missing chicken tikka masala pizzas years ago, and with Graham Norton on the TV here now, I’ve been feeling pretty much complete. Until I met Matthew Williamson.

The Manchester-born fashion designer was recently in Australia to launch his new furniture range with British manufacturer Duresta, and spending just a few hours with him made me – if not exactly homesick – more than a little bit nostalgic. Not just because of his gravelly Mancunian accent, or a wit so sharp it could draw blood, but because in Williamson I glimpsed a creative sensibility that is unapologetically English. An irreverent aesthetic that’s hard to define, but eclectic, exotic and confidently out of step with fashion. The likes of actor Sienna Miller and model Poppy Delevingne (who wears Williamson’s clothes) would doubtless agree.

US Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour rarely gushes, but she wrote of Williamson: “He has brought such joyful energy to the London fashion scene. He’s always been so clear about who he is – a designer who understands lifestyle as well as style – and who his young, beautiful customers yearn to be.”

Matthew Williamson’s range reflects the British designers love of intense shades and eclectic style

Williamson’s Duresta range was based on pieces he already had at his London home.

That customer can now sit on a Matthew Williamson sofa or armchair, thanks to the new collaboration available through DOMO stores (domo.com.au). It’s a logical progression from the rugs, fabrics and wallpapers Williamson has been creating in recent years for brands such as Osborne & Little and The Rug Company.

Ask the designer about the inspiration behind his furniture and he’ll tell you the range was based on pieces he already had in his London home. Bespoke fabric choices – from plains to decorative motifs, like his favourite butterflies – all share his love of intense colour. “I have no rules,” he says. “I’m the antithesis of everything matching. I go with my instinct and I’m not afraid to mix things up and experiment.”

In two decades as a designer, Williamson has been largely influenced by his travels. This was his first visit to our shores and he loved it. He admits Australia may influence a future collection, but something tells me it wasn’t koalas or the Sydney Opera House that caught his eye. He was entranced by the brilliant purple trees flowering during his visit, and my money’s on seeing Sienna Miller – or perhaps a sofa – in jacaranda.

Neale Whitaker is editor-in-chief of Vogue Living

Originally published as London’s calling Neale Whitaker